Praying for Leaders; March 7, 2020

Posted on March 10, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.

Paul was not hesitant to ask people to pray for him, and by this point he had learned that he needed to speak only the words God gave him, and not anything he had come up with on his own. It is ironic that people at the top, so to speak, can forget that they need others to support them in prayer, and at the same time people under them can forget that their leaders are just as human as they are, and genuinely need people to pray for them. When Paul was giving Timothy priorities for the Church, he said, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) We are to pray for our secular leaders as well as our spiritual leaders. I have read that the words President Trump is happiest to hear are, “I am praying for you.” That’s certainly appropriate, when his every word and decision impacts so many people, and is endlessly dissected as well. Closer to home, pastors often feel very isolated. They are very much in need of being prayed for, and of knowing that people are praying for them. Too often we see them as “spiritual giants” who dispense the mercies of God, when in fact they are just as human and fallible as anyone in their congregation. Reading this prayer request of Paul, I get the feeling he had experienced speaking on his own, instead of just the words God gave him, more times than he cared to remember, and he didn’t want to do any more of it. He certainly knew what it was like to speak out the very words of God, but he also knew the reverse of that, and wanted prayer support to be faithful as God’s spokesman.

As a pastor myself, as well as a man of words in general, this couldn’t be closer to home. Recently I’ve had a strong reminder of the dangers of just speaking, rather than limiting what I say to the words God gives me. I have been given a gift for words, and I’m not to take a vow of silence or anything like that, but I am to submit my every word to God before it goes out of my mouth, and I need all the prayer support I can get to be able to do that. Yesterday I experienced a clear check on something I was about to say, and I am grateful that I didn’t say it. Today a non-Christian couple is supposed to come by, and I need to speak God’s words only to them. Tomorrow, of course, I will be speaking out the message in the service. I am always aware of my responsibility at that time, but I need to be just as much under the control of the Holy Spirit in everything I say before and after the service. We are slated to have foreign visitors tomorrow. I am to make them feel welcome, but not neglect the members in my focus on the visitors. “Speaking the words I’m given” is a full time occupation!

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. I pray that I would be faithful in praying for others, and that like Paul, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask others to pray for me, so that in all things I may be Your agent, and not just a “loose cannon,” firing words at random and doing damage instead of accomplishing Your will. Thank You. Praise God!

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Opportunities; March 6, 2020

Posted on March 7, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

This is excellent advice, but we need to think about it and unpack it to really follow it. In the first place, everyone can think of people who are examples of being unwise in their living. However, we aren’t so quick to recognize when we are being unwise. We need to remember the famous words in Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) If we don’t recognize God as the omnipotent Creator who “upholds the universe by His all-powerful word,” (Hebrews 1:3 Weymouth translation) then we aren’t going to live wisely, period. We are capable of an almost infinite variety of conceits, figuring out ways to discount or ignore God, but that is the very definition of foolishness. With that understood, the next issue is the matter of opportunities. Some people limit this to opportunities to share the Gospel, but as important as those are, this isn’t so limited. I personally think it is the opportunity to represent Christ, to act as His agents in doing the Father’s will. Such opportunities are as many and varied as there are human beings. We are each gifted and equipped in unique ways, so one person’s opportunity isn’t going to look like another’s. We aren’t to go around comparing ourselves with each other, but rather strive to listen accurately to the Holy Spirit as He points our opportunities out to us. Certainly, some of those will be to share the Gospel, but many more will be to express the grace, mercy, and love of God to others in countless ways. This closes with the cautionary note that “the days are evil.” It doesn’t take much perceptive ability to recognize that! We are surrounded with people who are sadly deceived, and we are to hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we may not also be deceived. (Psalm 119:11) The thing is, the darker the surroundings, the brighter the light will seem. We are indeed sent as light into the world, (Matthew 5:14-16) and we are to recognize and make full use of our opportunities to shine.

This of course applies to me as much as it does to anyone. Thinking back, I can recognize many times when I missed opportunities to be God’s agent to someone, and that’s not a nice feeling at all. I am not to try to force myself on anyone, no matter how good my intentions, but rather listen obediently to the Holy Spirit for how He wants to work through me. I have certainly demonstrated that I am capable of misunderstanding Him, so I need to operate in all humility, with full gratitude when I get it right. As a pastor I seek to lead the believers into this same understanding, but my own intellect and words aren’t going to get the job done. There too, I need to let the Holy Spirit show me the right opportunities, the “teachable moments” that will open their eyes, so that together we may grow into the disciples Jesus desires and deserves.

Father, thank You for this Word. Now I’m torn as to whether You want me to speak Sunday on what You said to me yesterday, or on this! Help me hear You clearly and follow You accurately, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Children of Light; March 5, 2020

Posted on March 7, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

Once again, I could preach on any verse in this chapter! This one, however, in a way summarizes the rest. Paul was not a disciple of Jesus before His cross and resurrection, so he certainly didn’t hear Jesus say this directly, but this is a strong echo of Jesus’ words: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) When we are born again by faith in Christ we are indeed transformed, but we can be slow to realize it. The devil does all he can to blind us to as much of the truth of God as possible, so God had Paul and others remind us of it in various ways. Actually, we should all be doing that for each other all the time, just as Paul said: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) Living as children of light is so much more enjoyable than living any other way! To be honest, I’ve never seen the attraction of getting so plastered you can’t remember the next day what all went on, but the devil has deceived some people into thinking that’s the only way really to have fun. That’s sad! It’s also regrettable when Christians walk around with long faces all the time. That’s no way to draw anyone to Christ! As Jesus said, our lives should cause people to praise God. And frankly, when we live that way, it’s fun!

I’m very thankful to have accepted this truth, and I attempt to communicate it to all who will receive it. I have dealt with long-faced Christians and carousing unbelievers, and both need to wake up and smell God’s roses, so to speak. The blessings of walking in fellowship with the Lord are so many and varied as to defy description. I need not only to enjoy them myself, I am to share them with those around me. That said, it is frustrating and sometimes discouraging that so few really accept the Lord who is the source of it all. I have had someone bring friends to meet me because he wanted them to meet “someone who really enjoys living,” when that person himself is a militant Buddhist! All I can do is keep living as a child of light, speaking the truth in love, and allow the Lord to bring the harvest in His time, in His way, for His glory.

Father, thank You indeed for making me Your child. You have been so incredibly gracious! I continue to ask that You open the hearts and minds of those to whom I minister so that they may be freed from the lies of the devil and choose to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Words; March 4, 2020

Posted on March 6, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

The NIV isn’t bad here, but the Japanese strikes me a bit more strongly. “Don’t let any bad words at all come out of your mouths. Just, when it is necessary, speak things that are useful in nurturing people, so that those who hear may receive grace.” That makes it a lot broader than “Don’t cuss or talk dirty.” Sadly, some Christians, even, pepper their conversations with words that even just a few years ago would have been shocking. Those who make no bones about being “on the other side” can’t seem to say anything without “f-bombs!” It is easy to get distracted by such behavior and feel that our words are “pure and holy,” but as I said, what Paul is saying here is much broader than that. Do our words nurture? Are our words instruments of grace? We quote Jesus’ words, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48) but we don’t think about all the ramifications of that. We always have room to grow, and we need to be intentional in doing so. Since we are ambassadors for Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:20) our words and actions need to be in harmony with Him (in step with the Holy Spirit, as came up recently) all the time. Our words aren’t simply to be innocent, but “useful in nurturing” and “instruments of grace.”

This couldn’t be any more pointedly addressed to me! I am a man of words. I talk, a lot. I don’t “cuss or talk dirty,” but my words don’t always nurture; sometimes they tear down. Just the other day I said something that certainly comes under the category of “careless” or “unprofitable” words for which I will have to answer before God. (Matthew 12:36) One of the members here has a part-time job at a tapioca drink shop, and the first time I went in there I declined any of their product, saying that my wife and I don’t like tapioca. That got the shop owner in a really bad mood, which in turn reflected on our church member. I could have declined the drink without using the rather strong word for “dislike” that I did, but I was careless and caused damage. I have hurt that particular member before, rather badly, by saying things I didn’t need to say, and this incident certainly didn’t nurture them! I have been given a gift for words, and I must be a careful, faithful steward of that gift, indeed nurturing and blessing my hearers.

Father, thank You for this clear Word of correction. I pray that I would indeed continue to grow, so that I may accurately represent Christ to all those around me and in no way cause them to turn away from You. Thank You. Praise God!

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Calling; March 3, 2020

Posted on March 6, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

When it comes to Ephesians, I feel like writing a whole devotional on each verse! It’s no wonder the pages are trying to fall out of my Bible at this point. To unpack this verse, we first have to deal with Paul being a prisoner. Legally speaking he was a prisoner of the Romans, but he explicitly states that he was a prisoner of/for the Lord. I’m reminded of what he said to the Corinthians: “For Christ’s love compels us.” (2 Corinthians 5:14) Different translations render that in various ways, but Paul, considering what God had done for him, could see no proper response other than total obedience. That made him look at every element of his life as a part of God’s plan for him, and though he didn’t understand it all, and didn’t necessarily enjoy it all, he was convinced that it was an expression of God’s love for him and for the world. That’s why he called himself a prisoner of/for the Lord. From that position he then addresses other believers, and states that they have received a calling. I think the majority of people aren’t aware of a “calling” in their life, and that’s very sad. Many people really struggle with the whole idea of purpose in their lives, and as one writer said, “The majority of people live lives of quiet desperation.” The thing is, God never creates anything without a purpose for it, and that includes every human being. (As a parenthetical note, that’s one of the tragedies of abortion.) God, and therefore Paul, wants each person to be aware of their purpose, their calling, and that is doubly true for every believer. When we understand that we have a calling from our Creator, then responding fully to that calling should unquestionably be our highest priority. Understanding all that means is the work of a lifetime, but we need to start right now, asking God to make His calling more clear to us and to give us wisdom and strength to follow it completely.

This of course applies as much to me as it does to anyone. Yesterday I watched an interview with the stepson of C. S. Lewis, and I was quite moved. He has had various occupations in his life, but his calling is to to be a child, a disciple, an agent, of God. I identified totally, having had a very checkered work history myself. Just last night a close friend of many years said of me, to another friend, that I seemed to be many people, because there were so many different things I could do. My response was that I didn’t always distinguish correctly what was the most important thing to do. I am given to be a teacher, a musician, a pastor, an electrician, a truck driver, and a number of other things, but I am called to be a child of God, accurately representing Christ to the world. I can fulfill that calling only by the grace and power of God, but nothing is impossible for Him. I am to rejoice and be grateful for whatever degree of success He gives me in that, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the rich fellowship among the pastors last night over dinner. There are changes going on, with one pastor retiring and another moving, but there was a beautiful awareness that we were all brothers in the same family, regardless of organizational labels. I pray that You would grow that kind of unity throughout the Body of Christ here in Omura, so that all of Your plans and purposes may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Love; March 2, 2020

Posted on March 5, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 3:17-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

This whole prayer requires the help of the Holy Spirit to understand, because the magnificence of God’s love is beyond merely human comprehension, just as it says here. (It also doesn’t help that it is one of Paul’s long, convoluted Greek sentences!) We really can’t get it all straight on our own. We tend to limit God’s love, in our imaginations, to our own, when it is far greater and more magnificent. It is only when we open ourselves to Him in faith that we begin to grasp just how great His love for us is. We can’t possibly grasp it on our own without the faith that He provides (Ephesians 2:8). Thankfully, as Paul says in the very next verse, God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Understanding it is too much for us, but it’s no problem for God to cause us to grasp it. I really think that if we could meditate on and apply the letter to the Ephesians in fullness, we would all become mature disciples of Jesus Christ, equipped to tear down the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18) and set the captives free. I talk about love a great deal, particularly in marriage counseling and weddings, pointing out that Jesus’ cross was the ultimate expression of God’s love. We have trouble even with that, because such barbaric cruelty seems antithetical to how we conceive of love. However, it was the Father’s love for us that caused Him to visit such suffering on His Son, who was and is an extension of His own being. I point out that we can’t generate such sacrificial love on our own, even though husbands are commanded to love their wive with that sort of love (Ephesians 5:25), but that if we open our hearts to the Father to receive His love, that love can and does flow through us to those around us. That too is part of the mystery of faith, that is beyond the power of merely human intellect to grasp.

It is silly to pride myself on my love, but human beings are the very definition of silly, and I’m certainly human! I am deeply grateful that God has poured His love out on me so abundantly, and I delight to allow that love to flow through me, first to my wife and also to all those around me. However, my expressions of love are manifestly imperfect, so I need to keep growing. Some people would insist that such love is “selfless,” but I can grasp it only when I understand how much God loves me, so it is inextricably bound to my loving myself accurately. We run into linguistic hurdles here, because this is the opposite of being selfish or self-centered. However, it does mean that I recognize my own worth, because the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me, (Galatians 2:20) If I don’t love myself, since God loves me so much, then it does no good for me to “love my neighbor as I love myself,” as God commanded. (Matthew 22:39) The more I learn of God’s love, the more accurately I love myself and love my neighbor. That’s why I need to open myself up more and more to the infilling and revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the magnificent things You are doing in the believers in this church. I pray that I would indeed be effective in equipping them as they need it, (Ephesians 4:12) so that together we may be all that You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Amazing Grace; March 1, 2020

Posted on March 5, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.

Verses 8-10 of this chapter are the most famous part of this passage, but I love how Paul explains that in advance, so to speak, talking about God’s love and mercy. And he is unable to hold himself back from blurting out what he repeats in more ordered fashion in verse 8: “we are saved by grace.” Frankly, we don’t like to accept that we are “objects of wrath,” as he says in verse three. That factor is one of the biggest hindrances to salvation the world over. If we don’t understand and accept that our actions, our ignoring and rebelling against God, have made us worthy of hell, then we aren’t going to repent of those attitudes and actions, and without repentance there is no salvation. That’s the problem with many “seeker sensitive” ministries: they never confront sin. “Hellfire and brimstone” preaching is seldom effective in drawing people to Christ, but until we understand and accept that we are dead in sins, we aren’t going to accept God’s offer of life in Christ. Some people insist that “a loving God wouldn’t send people to hell,” not understanding that it is our own choices and actions that destine us for hell, not some vindictive whim of God. The Gospel is incredibly good news, the best news in the universe, but we recognize it for what it is only when we recognize that we are lost without it.

This has been an issue for me personally precisely because I can’t remember ever not knowing about Jesus. When I was five I was proclaiming that I loved Jesus more than I loved my mother, and I was baptized at seven from a genuine desire to follow Jesus as Lord. However, somewhere along the line I got to feeling like I somehow deserved salvation, and though I had occasional times of genuine worship, in general I descended more and more into spiritual pride. It was only after I was already a married father that God tapped me on the shoulder and, when I turned, He had a mirror to show me the blackness of my own soul. In that moment I understood what it means to be “dead in transgressions,” and I repented indeed. I don’t want to discount my experience at age seven, but I am deeply grateful for that experience at age 24. I was never the captain of a slave ship, but God’s grace is just as amazing for me as it was for John Newton!

Father, thank You indeed for Your amazing grace. I ask for Your anointing to communicate that grace more and more effectively to those around me, so that more and more may repent and believe for their salvation, and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Growth; February 29, 2020

Posted on March 2, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:16-17 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

I’m actually moved by this and the verses following, but the English and the Japanese divide the Greek differently, making it hard to find a stopping place. Ephesians in general is such a flood of wonderful truth! The point here is that Paul was praying for these believers, not so that they would receive the “pearls of wisdom” that he would give them, but so that they would be able to hear from God directly. Particularly since Constantine established the State Church, the clergy vs. laity divide has been a horrible curse on the Body of Christ. Martin Luther and those of his era proclaimed the Priesthood of the Believer, but the devil did all he could to squash that in practical terms, and even today the concept is honored in words far more than in deeds. God does give authority, in families and in church families, but that is never a matter of value, but rather of function. Both in families and in churches there is structure, with the father as head of the family and the pastor as head of the church, but in both cases the true Head is Jesus Christ, and every member of the family, every member of the church, has equal access to Him. That’s what Paul is praying for here. People can teach us and give us insight, but we don’t have to go through anyone to get to God, nor does He have to go through anything to get to us. Certainly, some people are more experienced and have the spiritual maturity to hear God more readily, but if we depend on them to hear from God for us, we will never grow! Sadly, some pastors seem to revel in the “aura of holiness” that people project on them, and they don’t want people under them hearing from God directly. Such shepherds will have to answer to the Great Shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 5:4) for that, and it won’t be pretty.

This of course applies to me, since I am a husband, father, and pastor. I am indeed head in the household, (Ephesians 5:23) but our children are long gone. I do pray for them, just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, but I cannot dictate to them. I am thrilled when they hear and obey God, and that is my greatest desire for them. God talks to my wife as much as He does to me, but often with a slightly different emphasis, which is why we share our devotional notes with each other. In this church I am the pastor, and I am responsible to feed the sheep. However, I don’t generate the food myself, nor can I chew and digest it for them. My desire is that they receive the “meals” I prepare for them, but that they don’t limit their intake to Sundays! I want each one to discover the riches God has prepared for us in His Word and delight to take them in daily, growing to be the strong, obedient disciple that God desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the Word You have given me to share in the service tomorrow, and for guiding me as I prepared the outline, just as I asked. I pray that the words You speak through me would indeed open the eyes of those who hear (verse 18) so that they may see You and the things of Your kingdom, and rejoice to be and do all that You desire of and for them, for their great blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Blessings; February 28, 2020

Posted on March 2, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

The letter to the Ephesians is considered by some to be the pinnacle of Paul’s writing. It was considered so by my grandfather, W. O. Carver, who wrote probably his best book, The Glory of God in the Christian Calling, on Ephesians. I have always felt a deep affinity to the book myself, and virtually every verse of it is underlined in one color or another in my Bible. Paul wrote in such long Greek sentences that it becomes difficult to translate into other languages and still make sense. (My grandfather included his own translation in his book.) My understanding is that the section from verse 3 through verse 10 at least, if not through verse 14, is all one sentence! That said, the richness of the content is worth the trouble of digging into it. This verse gives us a preview: every spiritual blessing in heaven (as the Japanese translates it)! We really have no framework to grasp the infinity of God’s gracious blessings toward us. One of the delights of walking with Christ is discovering more and more of these blessings. Then, we have eternity in heaven to look forward to! None of that would have been possible had Jesus not chosen to be born as a human baby, living our life along with us and taking the penalty for our sins on Himself, so that we might be cleansed and made acceptable to our perfectly pure and holy Creator, Father God. That’s what Ephesians is all about, and really, the whole Bible. If reading the Bible doesn’t sometimes put you in absolute awe of what God has done for you, then you aren’t reading it correctly! It is so much more than our human minds can comprehend that we absolutely need the help of the Holy Spirit to grasp it. (1 Corinthians 2:14) However, He does help us, so reading the Bible under His guidance is a delight indeed.

I of course didn’t choose the family into which I was born, but it was an incredible blessing. Not only was one grandfather a seminary professor, the other was a pastor, and my parents were missionaries, with my father having received his PhD in Greek at the age of 23, writing his dissertation on the use of “in Christ” and related expressions in the New Testament. You could say that faith and academics were the two pillars of our household! (In an amusing side note, when my mother was in college, one summer she offered to edit her father’s latest book to catch errors, and got his permission to simplify some of his sentences. When the book was published, one reviewer said, “The most readable Carver yet!” My grandfather had read so much of Paul that his sentence structure had become similar.) I committed myself to Christ at the age of seven, but my spiritual growth since then has hardly been even, with major ups and downs. However, it has certainly been a saga of discovering more and more of the things referenced in this verse. It is easier and easier to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, just as He has told me to do, even though I am surrounded by unknowns. I am not at all anxious about COVID-19, for example, because I know that my God would not allow anything that could not be used for my blessing, whatever it might feel like in the short term. As a pastor, I seek to help others have this same revelation of the incredible, gracious blessings of God, and to my great joy, some indeed do get it, and radiate the joy of the Lord to those around them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all Your plans for today. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the sermon notes for Sunday, and as I do some visitation this afternoon. I pray that my walking this morning would be effective in maintaining this body You have given me, so that my every interaction would accurately represent You to those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Life in the Spirit; February 27, 2020

Posted on February 29, 2020 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:16, 18, 25 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

God gives us His Holy Spirit for many reasons, and this section of Galatians expresses some of the most basic of those. We tend to focus on power, mentioned in Acts 1:8, or on gifts, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere, and this section is famous for focusing on fruit, but the framework is as the NIV section heading has it: “Life by the Spirit.” Biologically speaking we are animals, but if we live like animals, we completely miss the purpose for which God created us as distinct from animals. We are given not only souls, that is, mind and personality, but also spirits, which are capable of being infused with the Spirit of God. The devil does all he can to get us to focus on the flesh, with our “higher instincts” limited to our soul. To the degree he succeeds, he robs us of joy, peace, and even life itself. It is when we open our spirits to the Spirit of God that we discover what it is truly to be human, in the way God created us. From verse 16 through the end of the chapter, Paul is contrasting life by the flesh with life by the Spirit, and the difference is stark indeed. The things listed in verses 22 and 23 seem very attractive, but the devil tries to downplay them, especially the last one: self-control. Under his influence, the world presents many of the things listed in verses 19-21 as exciting and to be desired, but that is a lie from the pit of hell. One look at the “entertainment” industry will show that lie in full force. There is now a full-scale push to sexualize pre-pubescent children, and it is tragic. These three verses give us the framework for resisting all of that. In the first place, only the Holy Spirit can effectively control our physical appetites. The current obesity epidemic in the US is evidence of how little American Christians, even, focus on letting the Holy Spirit be in control! We tend to try to control ourselves and others by rules, but Paul points out that obedience to the Holy Spirit supersedes all of that. And lastly, there is the practical matter of walking in step with the Holy Spirit. I was in marching bands from the 4th grade and I spent a couple of years in the Army, playing clarinet in the 25th Division Band, so I’ve had a lot of experience with keeping in step! When we are out of harmony, out of rhythm with the Holy Spirit, nothing is right, and we need to correct, that is repent, immediately.

As I said, I’ve had enough marching experience that I can do it in my sleep, but staying in step spiritually is something I’m still working on. I have as much “animal nature” as anyone, so I need to be conscious in my submission to the Holy Spirit. “Self-control” is at the end of the list of the fruit of the Spirit for a reason! As a pastor, I am to help others live by the Spirit as well. That’s certainly not something I can do without being submitted to the Holy Spirit myself! As Paul wrote to the Colossians, I need to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) As a pastor I am expected to “teach and admonish” others, but part of what I need to teach is that all believers are to do that for one another, and even for me! We all need help in staying in step with the Spirit, just as I was assigned to call out the cadence to the other recruits when I was in Basic Training in the Army.

Well, Father, I had wondered what I was to speak on Sunday, and now I know! Thank you. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the notes, because there is far too much material on this subject to present it all in one message. I also ask for Your anointing as I record messages this morning for CGN TV. Thank You for showing me which messages I am to share. The broadcast time limits can feel very constricting, but You have guided me in the past, and I trust You to do so today as well. May my words indeed draw all who hear them to walk in step with Your Spirit, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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